Player Focus: Settled and Scoring Suarez Focused on Enjoying Time at Barcelona

After joining Barcelona for 80 million euros last summer it took three months for Luis Suarez to make his debut, and another three months to find his feet, but the former Liverpool man is now playing with the verve, efficiency and intensity of his best Anfield days.

Suarez has come bang into form over the last month or so. Having scored just six goals in his first 20 games for Barça, he now has seven in his last seven in all competitions, amid a sense that he has now settled properly both within the team and the club.

After finally making his debut in October -- after the three month ban imposed for biting Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini at last summer’s World Cup -- the new blaugrana number nine immediately began working hard and looking to impress his new colleagues and fans.

There was often more perspiration than inspiration though, and Suarez took eight La Liga games to break his duck, netting his first Barça goal in a 5-0 home win against bottom side Cordoba. Even that did not seem to lift the load from Suarez’s shoulders, and past the turn of the year he continued to snatch at simple chances in front of goal, with the high profile misses clearly playing on his mind.

During January’s Copa del Rey quarter-final first leg against Atletico Madrid he skied one effort from eight yards, then immediately fell to his knees and covered his face with his hands. The Camp Nou crowd, perhaps conditioned by a well planned PR campaign on his behalf, did not lose faith, though and continued to chant his name in support.

Barca coach Luis Enrique, who appears very happy with the physicality and directness that Suarez and fellow summer signing Ivan Rakitic bring to the team, also regularly showed his faith when talking to the media. “All forwards go through these moments, for whatever reason, when it seems they are far away from scoring,” Luis Enrique said in January. “But we are happy with all Luis brings us, and what he will bring in the future. He is perfectly integrated into the team.”

A turning point appeared to be the game at Athletic Bilbao in early February, when Suarez first saw a point-blank header saved by Athletic goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz, but soon afterwards swept a sweet 20-yarder into the net. After that game the 28-year-old admitted he had been worried by his lack of goals to that point.

“I am very self-critical with myself, you get angry when [misses] happen, but I knew the goal was going to come,” Suarez said. “I was not nervous, but what has worried me was when I felt I could not help the team as much as possible.”

Suarez’s 8.80 rating that night at San Mames was his highest up to that point for Barca. He has kept that level up through recent months, with a 10/10 against Rayo Vallecano 10 days ago helping him climb to a 7.53 average, seeing him break into the top ten highest rated players in La Liga so far this season (he is currently sixth).

It is also noticeable that Suarez’s run of goals in recent games has been accompanied by a drop in his providing goals for his teammates. He now has just one assist in those last seven games, after 10 assists in the previous 20. Although still well on course to break his best ever number of assists per season (with 10 already and 12 being his previous best – for Liverpool in 2013/14), he now has more goals than assists for Barca. The trend suggests a more focused approach.

It could be that having settled on and off the pitch in Catalonia, Suarez's confidence is now back. Before he was dallying in the penalty box and looking to find a teammate (usually Lionel Messi, but also regularly Neymar), or fluffing good chances when they did come. Now he is not thinking twice, going for goal and scoring.

The brace against Manchester City in last month’s Champions League last 16 first leg saw two very natural finishes, first when the ball broke to him off Vincent Kompany’s misdirected clearance, then when darting to the front post to divert Jordi Alba’s cross into the net from close range. The double against Rayo were both similarly crisp strikes, taken early, before the goalkeeper or defence could get set, with no hint of nerves or second guessing.

Seeing as it is Suarez, it is also mandatory to look at his disciplinary record. This also shows a bit of a ‘before and after’ trend. In his first 13 games for Barca, in all competitions, he was not booked even once. The 14 matches since have seen four yellow cards shown, not a huge tally, but it still feels like a significant change. Coincidentally or not, the goals have also started to flow over this time, perhaps as he feels more comfortable in his own skin, and not so concerned about those watching on waiting for him to cross the line again.

The now 28-year-old has in fairness generally been on his best behaviour since the summer, possibly due to attending anger management classes at Barcelona’s behest. Although booed throughout the game on his return to England last month, Suarez did not rise to the bait. He committed two fouls over the 90 minutes, but that was down to how he and his teammates pressed City’s defenders and midfield so well during the game. There were no signs of petulance or frustration. Claims in the English media that he had bitten Martin Demichelis during play were quickly shown to have no basis in reality.

“It is always special to play these type of games,” Suarez told Spanish TV afterwards, having clearly enjoyed his return to England. The 8.62 rating gained in that match also helped him rise to the eighth highest ranked player in the Champions League. He was also excellent (8.37 rating) in the group clincher against Paris Saint Germain before Christmas, the first game in which he, Messi and Neymar had all scored.

It is clear that Suarez loves the big occasion, and is now comfortable enough to go out and play his natural game for Barça, something blaugrana fans and pundits should be happy about ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League return game at home to City, and then next Sunday’s La Liga ‘clasico’ against Real Madrid at the Camp Nou.

“I fulfilled my dream of playing for the best club in the world, and now I am enjoying it,” Suarez said last week. “I’m bringing things to the team, feeling both relaxed and important.” A relaxed Suarez who is scoring goals, while steering clear of controversy. Barça could not have hoped for anything more when shelling out the big bucks last summer.

How impressed have you been with Suarez’s improvement at Barcelona? Let us know in the comments below